Enriching Valletta's cultural calendar

The Grand Harbour area, particularly Valletta, is slowly but surely establishing itself as a venue for evening cultural and leisure activities. As more and more events are being staged in Malta's capital, the city is becoming an alternative venue for a quality cultural evening experience for Maltese and tourists alike.

Valletta is currently experiencing an exciting period of positive change. The city's cultural calendar of events has never been so varied. Not only have the cultural venues increased but also cultural productions staged in Valletta, ranging from theatre, performing arts, dance, musical performances and one-time festivals.

The city today houses at least four places where theatre performances can be staged - the Manoel Theatre, the MITP, St James Cavalier and the Mediterranean Conference Centre. Besides, open-air spots with the Grand Harbour as a backdrop provide further opportunity. All of these cultural institutions have their own events programme.

In addition, one-time annual events which have been held for a number of years now are also gradually establishing themselves on Valletta's annual calendar of events. The Jazz Festival is perhaps the best example, although the Malta Tourism Authority's fireworks festival and historic cities festival are other attractions that increase Valletta's appeal as a vibrant cultural capital.

The organisation of high calibre events such as last Saturday's performance by world renowned maestro Riccardo Muti at the Mediterranean Conference Centre are fresh initiatives which are extremely beneficial to Valletta. These events not only strengthen Valletta's image as a cultural venue but also help create sufficient demand to encourage Valletta's business community to cater for an increasing evening market.

The recent announcement by one of Valletta's leading open-air cafés to remain open in the evening and host live music once again as it used to in the past is a healthy indicator that business is catching up and even the more established entertainment venues are responding to this new creation of demand.

Up to a few years ago, Valletta used to be lifeless in the evening. A seasoned cultural calendar of events is helping to reverse the trend and Valletta is gradually becoming a lively and vibrant cultural and entertainment venue which offers a healthy alternative to a growing segment of people who seek quality leisure time in a historic ambience.

The organisation of cultural initiatives, which, ultimately, seek to position Valletta as a cultural capital, should be actively supported. The government's intentions to implement a holistic transport accessibility strategy for Valletta are essential if this momentum is to be maintained.

The proposed strategy will remove the V-licence for Valletta, thus ensuring that all drivers in Malta will have an opportunity to drive and park in Valletta if they wish to. Adequate car parking space will be provided outside Valletta and a frequent shuttle bus will drive commuters to the heart of the city. This will encourage those people who presently park in Valletta for very long hours to consider this viable option, and free up precious car spaces in the city for those who may wish to enter for a shorter period of time. This will eventually lead to better vehicle circulation. Moreover, the system allows for maximum flexibility and the parking fee structure could be designed to encourage people to enter Valletta and follow evening cultural activities.

The planned pedestrianised streets should also provide a more pleasant environment which evening visitors to Valletta would certainly appreciate. Pedestrianisation leads to an improved city environment and an overall long-term increase in business. Republic Street is a case in point. The main axis of Valletta is well lit in the evening and will certainly become animated as more people choose to enter the city in the evening.

A city's level of success is measured by its dynamism. There were times not so long ago when the city was pretty much stagnant and its problems, so typical of other tourist-historic cities in other countries, seemed insurmountable. The energy, planning and public and private investment put into the city is showing positive results. It will lead to the cultural regeneration of Valletta - a city alive and buzzing with life and vibrancy.

Mr Zammit Trevisan works at the strategic planning and research division of the Malta Tourism Authority. He is a member of the board of governors of Valletta Alive Foundation and has recently been appointed treasurer of ICOM Malta. The views presented in this article are entirely his own.